TdF Stage 11 – A Very Tight Race [Spoilers]

I’ve got news for you Richie, you are the team leader in a GT right now

He’s managing expectations. It didn’t go well in the Vuelta when he was royally done over by the Spanish.

I had Talansky for a podium. Clearly not “crash-proof”.

Oh noes, got peed off with the ITV commentary paid for Eurosport and I find them worse.

Talanksy has hip problems appaza.

What’s going on with Talansky then? I’ve only got the live feed up from time to time, first he was retiring, then he’s back chasing but its showing him 16 mins behind the Peloton…

Talansky has only 1 mate on the road today

He’s going to see if he can make it…

Sore back?

How’s he looking now? he’ll be 20+ minutes back by the end of that Cat 4, he was in 26th overall, this will be a sharp kick in the plumbs…

estimating 33mins for the elimination time

Sore everything by the look of him.

I’m going to have to watch the highlights later I think…

A bunch of 5 up front for the last 35km I’d like to see them pull another minute away from the bunch…

and I was almost right Talansky is now +00:19:36…

not that much cookeaa, been a normal transition so far just chilling and the others playing. Break is going to get caught I think so just the last 3km for fireworks unless someone decides to go for the last climb to finish and get some time back on yellow.

Scarponi just ripped his mech right off.. In a crash.. On a climb..

Today is one of those sort of nothing transitional stages with a few lumps thrown in at the end to annoy all the pure sprinters.

Bit of an understatement that.

All back together – Martin on the front (AGAIN??). Sagan to win?

Tony Martin has never attacked, but he has dropped the peloton on several occasions.

Imagine Froome trying to keep up on that descent. He’d be in a tree in the first turn.

Imagine Froome trying to keep up on that descent. He’d be in a tree in the first turn.

Are you confusing Froome for Andy Schleck? Froome is quite a good descender.

This must be Sagan’s.

yay the JCL troll has woken up

RealMan – Member

Today is one of those sort of nothing transitional stages with a few lumps thrown in at the end to annoy all the pure sprinters.

Bit of an understatement that.

Your right one of the local lads thought so too

Alexis Vuillermoz: “The climbs are hard!”
Local newspaper Le Progrès asked AG2R-La Mondiale rider Alexis Vuillermoz to reconnoitre today’s course, which uses his usual training roads. The Frenchman who finished 11th at the Giro d’Italia gave an interesting insight: “Three of the four climbs have been classified in third category but I find the organizers very optimistic! I know those climbs really well, they’re harder than that. The côte de Rogna isn’t too difficult but the end of the côte de Choux is steep. I can guarantee that many riders will be surprised by how hard it is.

I must say, I’ve taken quite a shine to Gallopin. G’wan!

Can’t see the point of Gallopin attacking there unless it to get some space for the descent.

Are you confusing Froome for Andy Schleck? Froome is quite a good descender.

It’s all relative. Quite good isn’t good enough to keep up with guys like Sagan, Gallopin, or Nibali as we saw at Terrano last year.

You guys think the racing is the same as 20 years ago. They know these days that if you have descending ability you can do a lot of damage. People don’t sit up and recover on descents anymore.

The good riders know it and you saw what happened the other day or the same with Wiggo in the Giro last year.

“I must say, I’ve taken quite a shine to Galopin. G’wan! “

Him or his partner?

JCL – have you actually seen the crash where Froome was taken down?
Did you notice that it had nothing to do with bike handling?
Do you also realise that, as his wrist was fractured, he could hardly put any pressure on his bars with one hand, hence the falls the next day. The team had already been prepped that he probably wouldn’t make it through that day.

Oh god so close.

bloody good move by Gallopin

awesome finish photo with the 2 handed celebration with the mass sprint for second

Sagan will be livid.

Sagan is not going to be happy..

What an attack! Sagan will be Mr. Grumps again this evening.

He smashed it. It’s nice to see something like that happen considering the usual levels of control of the finishes by certain teams.

As an aside, such bullshit from Lemond, saying that somehow bike handling is genetic….

Can’t wait to see Sagan on the podium. Speaking of the podium..

awesome finish photo with the 2 handed celebration with the mass sprint for second

@mike – yes that would definitely be one for the photo wall at home !

saying that somehow bike handling is genetic….

I think to a degree it is due to talent, balance, co-ordination of movement, bravery etc. It doesn’t how much training you do some people are just going to be better, same is true of MTB no ?

@realman is that a photo bomb from the woman on the right ?

Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of the delightful Marion Rousse… How can a girl with only one face be so pretty?? 😛

OK, for clarity I should have said that “on paper” it’s a bit of a nothing transtional stage…
However as pointed out with that crosswinds stage last year, they can sometimes throw up some nice surprises and exciting racing.

Did Talansky actually finish in the end? I’ve only managed to catch bits and pieces of it today.

Well I know someone up there said it was a pointless attack but that was a brilliant finish. Nibali again in the front runners but no cigar for Sagan.

A really good last 10km.

ITV just said Talansky within 4k of the finish.

Talansky finished, inside time limit.

Speaking of the podium..

As pleasant as that is, surely this sort of thing has had its day. I guess mostly dictated by sponsors though. Wasn’t it local school kids for some of the Yorkshire stages?

Apparently this is Sagan’s 52nd TdF stage, and he’s worn the green jersey in 47 of them. He must not really be a fan of the Cannondale kit, or something.